Scan barcode
cobaltbookshelf's review
2.0
Unfortunately, me and this book didn't click as much as I hoped after seeing that cover.
The main reason this book didn't work for me were the writing. I can see why other people might love this book but it just wasn’t my thing.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The main reason this book didn't work for me were the writing. I can see why other people might love this book but it just wasn’t my thing.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
blonohorror's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
itputsthebookupontheshelf's review
2.0
First off, this cover is so good! It's what initially drew me to this book to begin with. Then, the description of a "visceral horror thriller in the vein of Midsommar". Um, yes, please!
Unfortunately, this story left a lot to be desired. The writing was... interesting. It is chalk full of really long run-on sentences. Lots of unnecessary descriptions and then at times blunt and not adding to the story at all.
The characters were just meh for me. I really didn't enjoy them
Unfortunately, this story left a lot to be desired. The writing was... interesting. It is chalk full of really long run-on sentences. Lots of unnecessary descriptions and then at times blunt and not adding to the story at all.
The characters were just meh for me. I really didn't enjoy them
book4grace's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
itsalljustsemantics's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
linoswalt's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
gburkas's review
2.0
Two stars because there was enough interesting lore for me to want to finish it, although the lore was only half completed and in the end it wasn't worth it. By the last 100 pages I was rolling my eyes every 2 seconds because I was annoyed by all of the characters.
meaganmart's review
4.0
I had put "The Cherished" towards the bottom of my to-be-read pile after seeing that it had received somewhat mixed reviews. I have to admit that I felt lukewarm at best about reading a run of the mill young adult thriller. I am happy to say, however, after finishing the novel, that "The Cherished" was a homerun. I'm not sure what was missing for other readers, but as a librarian that reads hundreds of middle grades and young adult novels each year I can say, without reservation, that "The Cherished" will be a smash hit for its target audience. The creeping, all-encompassing dread that Patricia Ward manages to build chapter after chapter, the way that she roped me in as a reader to suspend my disbelief in the imaginary, and honestly to be terrified by what might be going "bump" in the dark felt masterful.
Jo finds herself in the middle of an endless summer, wishing for any escape to provide her a respite from the suburban nightmare she finds herself living. A mother expecting a half-sibling that will be 17 years younger than she is with her staid and controlling stepfather, a Nana who won't ever let her forget that she doesn't fit the upper crust model she had dreamed of for her grandchildren, and a best friend who seems to already have one foot out the door. The letter from her father's mother, Gammy, comes as a surprise and a salvation as she discovers the old woman has left her a working farm in Vermont.
Her mother insists that she sell the property, but Jo becomes determined to see the farm in person. She hadn't been since a fateful trip over a decade ago that ended with her father being accused of custodial kidnapping.
Upon their arrival any dreams Jo may have had of a rural farm escape instantly disappear. The tenants that live on the land send chills up her spine, and the boarded up "Old House" emanates a chill that invades her nightmare and sends her backwards to hazy memories of that long ago visit. As Jo works to piece together the cryptic message left for her in her grandmother's will along with the stories her father used to tell her as a child, she's left to wonder, what if this place is one where the boundaries between worlds wears thin? And what if the stories she'd thought were bedtime tales for a little girl contain more truth than she'd ever imagined?
I will definitely be ordering copies of "The Cherished" for our collection. This is the perfect mid-winter book for teen readers looking for something spooky to occupy the long. dark nights. Perfect for those interested in the paranormal, and for those who enjoy their mystery with a side of horror, this will be a book I recommend again and again and one that I feel certain will be swapped around with the accompanying whisper "you won't BELIEVE..." Special thanks to NetGalley and to HarperTeen for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "The Cherished" in exchange for an unbiased review. I will be eagerly awaiting Ward's next effort!!
Jo finds herself in the middle of an endless summer, wishing for any escape to provide her a respite from the suburban nightmare she finds herself living. A mother expecting a half-sibling that will be 17 years younger than she is with her staid and controlling stepfather, a Nana who won't ever let her forget that she doesn't fit the upper crust model she had dreamed of for her grandchildren, and a best friend who seems to already have one foot out the door. The letter from her father's mother, Gammy, comes as a surprise and a salvation as she discovers the old woman has left her a working farm in Vermont.
Her mother insists that she sell the property, but Jo becomes determined to see the farm in person. She hadn't been since a fateful trip over a decade ago that ended with her father being accused of custodial kidnapping.
Upon their arrival any dreams Jo may have had of a rural farm escape instantly disappear. The tenants that live on the land send chills up her spine, and the boarded up "Old House" emanates a chill that invades her nightmare and sends her backwards to hazy memories of that long ago visit. As Jo works to piece together the cryptic message left for her in her grandmother's will along with the stories her father used to tell her as a child, she's left to wonder, what if this place is one where the boundaries between worlds wears thin? And what if the stories she'd thought were bedtime tales for a little girl contain more truth than she'd ever imagined?
I will definitely be ordering copies of "The Cherished" for our collection. This is the perfect mid-winter book for teen readers looking for something spooky to occupy the long. dark nights. Perfect for those interested in the paranormal, and for those who enjoy their mystery with a side of horror, this will be a book I recommend again and again and one that I feel certain will be swapped around with the accompanying whisper "you won't BELIEVE..." Special thanks to NetGalley and to HarperTeen for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "The Cherished" in exchange for an unbiased review. I will be eagerly awaiting Ward's next effort!!